Emerging Markets

The U.S. corporate re-leveraging cycle is far more advanced than is widely believed. Corporate health looks only mildly better excluding the troubled energy and materials sectors. Mushrooming leverage ratios are not restricted to junk issuers either.

Corporate profits are more sensitive to selling prices than to volumes. Falling prices even amid mildly rising volumes could produce a meaningful profit contraction. Stay with deflation trades. In particular, maintain the short EM stocks / long U.S. 30-year Treasurys position. Indian stocks are still pricey and will deflate further in absolute terms.

There are no signs of broader financial stress in the Chinese corporate sector. The most recent financial market turmoil has had no systemic damage to corporate sector balance sheets. We are leaning against being overly bearish. Current valuation readings, particularly for Chinese H shares and Hong Kong stocks, on a historical basis have never been sustainable.

Taiwan's opposition Democratic Progressive Party is poised to win the presidency and possibly the legislature in elections January 16. The result will be icier cross-strait relations in the coming years that will add a geopolitical headwind to Taiwanese assets, even as it struggles to cope with a low-growth world. Taiwan still has advantages over other emerging markets, but its outlook is darkening.